Gardening in a city state.

"Congratulations! You are now a grand mother." My friends tease me. I was over the moon.

Well, technically I am not one, my daughters have yet to show any sign of maternal instinct. But I am one.

In Singapore, my plants grow prolifically in the university gardening club allotment and at my garden. My friends have taken up this allotments, but when their plants won't grow, they soon give up in frustration. I was always giving away my plants and fruits.

I don't eat sweet potatoes aka kumara in New Zealand. I used to eat so much of it when I was little that I have a phobia. But I like the leaves. I grew so much that the pampered family boycotted and said,"no more."

I gave some cutting to my friend G.L. and encouraged her to grow them in her garden. She is not a gardener and with babies, she has no time for them.

But one day, she excitedly rang me, " Come and see you baby."


This pix is my grand child, courtesy of G.L. She just left it to grow in her garden at Nanyang View. Without attending to it, it grew to 1.7kgs. It caused quite a sensation. Sweet potatoes do not normally grow this big.

Sweet potatoes or Kumaras as they are called in New Zealand are tubers. They can be boiled, roasted or eaten raw. In this region, they are an essential ingredient in a popular dessert called Bobo cha cha. My mum used to make Chinese delicacies.

Young leaves are eaten stirred fried and are rich with fibre.

I paid $8 for a bundle of kumara shoots this summer. I give them tender loving care and remember when they grew profusely in Singapore.